Vigil held for Whittier student with autism found dead on school bus

WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday night to remember a special-needs student who was found dead on a school bus in a Whittier School District parking lot earlier this month.

The emotional event was held on what would have been Hun Joon "Paul" Lee's 20th birthday.

His family and close friends broke down in tears as they listened to words of love from the community.

"Paul is remembered by his loved ones as a cheerful person who tried his best no matter what," a speaker at the vigil said.

Paul, who had severe autism, was found dead after being left unattended for hours in a hot school bus on Sept. 11. He had apparently been forgotten by a substitute bus driver.

"He will always be remembered as the happy boy with the smile that can never be replaced," family friend Leslie Perez-Medina said.

There have been eight cases statewide in the last three years of children with autism being left alone in school buses, and local parents say this must stop.

"Ultimately, our goal is to have a law in Paul's name to require safety alarms on all school buses statewide and eventually nationwide," said Mary Ellen DeLaVega, who also has a child with autism.

The bus company, Pupil Transportation Cooperative, said they immediately put safety upgrades into place to ensure an incident like this one does not happen again.

PTC Spokesman Tom DeLapp said the investigation into the death was ongoing, and the bus driver is on administrative leave.

The Whittier Police Department is still investigating the case. So far, no information has been released on whether the bus driver will be facing any charges.